Vegetarian
Black Rice, Quinoa and Mushroom Burgers
Jan 14th
Black Rice, Quinoa and Mushroom Burgers
Yields: 8 4″ diameter burgers
Ingredients:
1 cup quinoa
2/3 cup wild rice
1/2 cup quinoa flour (or as needed)
1/4 cup mushrooms
2 green onions, green and white parts, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 fresh green chilies or jalapeños, seeded and finely chopped
1 small tomato, seeded and finely chopped
1 large egg, beaten
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
1 teaspoon sea salt
3 tablespoons + 1 teaspoons sesame oil
Directions:
Soak quinoa overnight in 1 1/2 cup of water.
Thoroughly rinse the quinoa. Bring 1 cup of water and quinoa to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 12-15 minutes or until the water is absorbed. Remove from heat and set aside for 10 minutes. Fluff with fork.
Prepare black rice according to package directions. Set aside.
Heat 1 teaspoon of the oil over medium heat in a frying pan. When hot, toss in the green onion, garlic and chilies or jalapeños. Stir for 2 to 3 minutes, then toss in the spices and salt and stir for 1 minute. Add mushrooms and tomato and continue to stir for another 5 minutes. Transfer to a small bowl and set aside.
Transfer the cooked rice and quinoa to a large bowl, fluff with a fork, mashing slightly, and stir in the fried onion mixture, egg and flour until well combined. Add more flour as necessary so that the mixture is not too moist and holds together.
Heat the remaining oil over medium heat in a non-stick frying pan. Use ice cream scoop and form a patty. Fry for 5 minutes until golden brown, then flip and fry for another 5 minutes until both sides are golden brown. Drain on paper towels.
Serve with lemon basil mock mayo (recipe follows), lettuce, tomato avocado or your favorite burger fixings. I served it with Truffle Fries which is fast becoming a favorite here in the Roisum household. I think I’ve made them 4 or 5 times since we’ve returned from San Diego and first discovered them. I did change it up a bit tonight by using asiago cheese instead of parmesan and added Herbs de Provence.
Lemon Basil Mock Mayo
Ingredients:
1/4 cup Vegannaise
2 basil leaves, chopped
1/2 lemon, zested and juiced
salt and pepper, to taste
Directions:
Mix all ingredients in a bowl.
Fava Bean, Spinach and Olive Soup
Oct 25th
Fava Bean, Spinach and Olive Soup
Serves: 2-3
Ingredients:
1 15 oz. can organic fava beans (I used Westbrae Naturals)
1 bag of organic baby spinach
2 cups vegetable broth
12 olives (I used 6 Greek black and 6 green)
1 tablespoon Extra-virgin olive oil
1 large onion, diced
3-4 carrots, peeled and diced
2-3 ribs celery, cut onto 1/2-inch dice
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 bay leaf
2 tablespoons fresh dill
1 teaspoon of Herbs de Provence
1 tablespoon dried parsley
salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
In large skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat. Saute onion, garlic, carrots, celery, dill, parsley and Herbs de Provence for 2-3 minutes.
Add beans, bay leaf and vegetable broth.
Lower heat to simmer. Add olives. Cook for a few more minutes.
Add Spinach.
Stir and heat through.
Ladle the soup into serving bowls for some Fava beany-weany deliciousness!
Curried Butternut Squash Soup
Oct 24th
Curried Butternut Squash Soup
Serves: 6-8
Ingredients:
1 large butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
1 medium onion, diced
1/3 cup raw cashews
3/4 cup water
2 cups vegetable broth
1 15-oz can light coconut milk
2 tablespoons curry powder
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon fennel
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Greek (or Goat’s Milk) Yogurt, for garnish
Salt
Pepper
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Toss squash with 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil, salt and pepper. Roast for 25-35 minutes until done. Set aside.
Put the cashews in a blender and blend until finely ground. Add 3/4 cup water and blend for 2 minutes.
In a large pot, heat the 1 tablespoon olive oil over low heat. Add the onion and sauté until golden. Add curry powder, turmeric, cumin, cinnamon, and fennel. Toast spices for 1-2 minutes.
Add the squash, coconut mixture, salt and pepper to taste. Add vegetable broth to cover.
Bring to a low boil, reduce the heat, and simmer until combined about 10 minutes.
Blend the soup with an immersion blender until the desired consistency is reached. If using a high speed blender, allow the mixture to cool slightly before putting in blender. Start on low speed and blend until the soup is smooth. Return to the pot and reheat if serving hot.
Ladle into bowls and garnish with yogurt before serving.
Slow Cooker Split Pea Soup
Oct 23rd
Slow Cooker Split Pea Soup
Serves: 8
Ingredients:
12 oz. of organic split peas, rinsed
4 cups vegetable broth
1 tablespoon Extra-virgin olive oil
1 large onion, diced
3-4 carrots, peeled and diced
3 ribs celery, cut onto 1/2-inch dice
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon of Herbs de Provence
1 tablespoon dried parsley
salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
Layer ingredients in slow cooker in the order listed, adding the broth last. Do not stir ingredients. Cover and cook on high for 4-5 hours or on low for 8-10 hours until peas are soft.
Mash peas to thicken more, if desired.
Ladle into serving bowls and enjoy!
NOTE: Freezes well.
Broccoli Cheddar Soup Gluten Free
Sep 24th
Ingredients:
1 large head of broccoli
3 carrots, sliced
1/2 medium onion, chopped
4 cups vegetable broth
3 cups Sharp Cheddar, Grated
3 Tablespoons grass-fed Butter
3 cloves Garlic, chopped
1 teaspoon Garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon Sea Salt
1 teaspoon Pepper
1/4 teaspoon Nutmeg
1 teaspoon Thyme
2 Bay leaves
3 tablespoons Rice starch (or cornstarch)
Directions:
In a large stock pot, melt butter over medium-high heat. Add garlic, onion, and carrots. Saute until onions start to caramelize. Add the broccoli stems. Stir in salt, pepper, garlic powder, thyme, and nutmeg. Add 2 cups vegetable broth. Bring to a simmer and reduce heat to low.
Remove florets from the broccoli stems, chop small and set aside. Remove skin off the stems and chop stems fine.
In a small bowl add rice starch and stir in remaining 2 cups broth until all lumps are removed. Add rice starch/stock mixture to the simmering soup on the stove while stirring. Cook until soup starts to thicken.
Remove from heat and puree soup in a blender in 2 batches to avoid having a mess. Return soup to pot and simmer over low heat. Add broccoli florets and cook until tender.
Stir cheese and stir over low heat until melted.
Serve with crusty bread, in a bread boule or with gluten free skillet cornbread.
Enjoy!
Brown Butter Fettucini with Veggies
Sep 17th
You’ll be getting the double thumbs up from the whole crew when you make this Browned Butter Fettuccine with Veggies for them. I know…my husband who is my taster and biggest critic gave this the thumbs up, a 10 on a scale of 1 to 10. He said, “it tasted delicious, the flavors were well developed and it was a nice presentation, although you know I don’t care as much about the presentation as you do.” To that I said, “thank you and yes presentation is important because we eat with our eyes first.
Ingredients
Dressing:
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 large lemon, zested and juiced
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Pasta:
1 gluten free fresh fettucini pasta (I get it at Whole Foods, if you can’t find this particular type, use your favorite pasta)
1/2 stick (1/4 cup) unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces, at room temperature
2 cups baby arugula
6-8 stalks of asparagus
1 cup of cauliflower (when I made this the most recent time, I actually used the what we had left of the Roasted Cacao Cauliflower)
1/3 cup sun dried tomatoes, chopped
2/3 cup grated Parmesan
1/2 cup toasted pine nuts
2 tablespoons capers, rinsed and drained
Directions:
For the dressing: In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, lemon zest, salt, and pepper until smooth. Set aside.
For the pasta: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook according to package directions. Drain and reserve about 1 cup of the pasta water.
In a high-sided skillet, whisk the butter over medium heat until melted. Simmer until foamy. Continue to cook until the butter has a nutty aroma and turns a caramel color, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat. Add the pasta, dressing, arugula, asparagus, cauliflower, sun-dried tomatoes, Parmesan, pine nuts, and capers. Toss until coated, adding the reserved pasta water, 1 tablespoon at a time to loosen the sauce, if needed. Transfer to a large bowl and serve.
This recipe was shared on
Sauteed Cannellini Beans
Sep 10th
Ingredients:
1/2 sweet bell pepper, finely chopped
1/2 medium onion, diced
3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup white wine
1/2 cup vegetable stock (or you can use chicken stock if you’re a meat eater)
1 teaspoon Herbs de Provence
3 cups cooked cannellini beans
1 handful of basil, chopped
Directions:
In a medium saute pan, cook the bell peppers and onions in 2 tablespoons olive oil until soft, 5 to 7 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, another 2 minutes. Deglaze the pan with white wine and allow to boil for 1 to 2 minutes. Add the stock, Herbs de Provence, and beans and simmer for 20 minutes.
Pour into shallow bowls and drizzle with the remaining olive oil and top with basil.
This also makes a great appetizer served over a grilled baguette. Enjoy!
Roasted Cacao Cauliflower with Yogurt Dipping Sauce
Sep 10th
We just returned from vacation and I haven’t had a chance to got to the grocery store. There was very little left in the refrigerator since I really try to plan food purchases and meal planning for the time right before our vacation. But I did happen to have a head of cauliflower that was still good. And Justine over at Full Belly Sisters just had a cauliflower party on her Facebook Page. People were sharing some really fancy recipes – ones that went beyond my thoughts. Well I decided to let loose and be creative and that is how this Roasted Cacao Cauliflower with Yogurt Dipping Sauce came about. I hope you enjoy.
Ingredients:
1 head cauliflower, cut into florets
2-3 tablespoons of olive oil (you may need more or less in order to coat the cauliflower
1 tablespoon unsweetened cacao (I used Navitas Naturals Cacao Powder)
Pink Himalayan sea salt (I use Trader Joe’s brand)
Yogurt Dipping Sauce:
1/4 cup Greek plain yogurt
1/4 cup olive oil
2 garlic cloves
3/4 oz mint leaves (1 big handful)
5 sprigs of Thyme
cilantro leaves, small handful
juice of 1/2 a lemon
salt and pepper to taste
1 tablespoon toasted pine nuts for garnish
Directions:
Roasted Cauliflower
Preheat the oven 400 degrees
Place cauliflower florets on a baking stone. Drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle sea salt on top and toss the florets gently to coat. Sprinkle the cocoa powder over the top evenly. Bake for 30 minutes.
Yogurt Dipping Sauce
In small skillet, toast pine nuts for about 5 minutes. Stirring occasionally. Set aside.
Put all the ingredients except the pine nuts in a blender. Puree until smooth. Sprinkle toasted pine nuts on top and drizzle with olive oil.
Tropical Mango and Black Bean Tacos
Aug 20th
My husband and I are a big fan of Tacos…beef tacos, chicken tacos, spaghetti squash tacos, breakfast tacos and even dessert tacos.
In my quest to reduce the amount the red meat (did I mention that my hubby is a huge red meat eater), I try to come up with meals that are hearty and satisfying.
What better way to switch gears than with these Tropical Mango and Black Bean Tacos?
Did I mention they’re topped with mango salsa?! It doesn’t get much better than that! The sweet and tangy mango salsa complements it perfectly. And the spicy yogurt sauce will make you forget about adding sour cream to your taco!
I have two warnings though. First, these are a little messy. Okay, maybe really messy. Just have a handful of napkins on the table before you dig in! Second, they are addicting. My husband ended up eating 5 and that’s after he said that he wasn’t very hungry. I had 3 myself and I usually am only good for two.
Ingredients
For the Tacos:
20 oz. black beans (about 1 1/2 cans)
3 tablespoons diced red onion
1 tablespoon coconut oil
salt and pepper
Corn tortillas or Taco shells
For the tropical coconut cream:
1/3 cup coconut milk
2/3 cup Greek yogurt (I used plain goat’s milk yogurt)
2 tablespoons of mascarpone cheese
1 teaspoon palm sugar
3 teaspoons of green chilis
For the Mango Salsa:
2 mangoes, diced (fresh or frozen)
1 tablespoons of red onions, diced
1 lime, juiced
a handful of fresh cilantro
Directions:
For the taco mixture:
Drain and rinse the black beans. Saute black beans, red onion, and jalapeno in coconut oil and season with salt and pepper. Saute gently because the beans will “mush” easily. When onions and jalapenos have softened, remove mixture from heat and place in serving bowl.
For the toppings:
To make the mango salsa, combine mangos, 1 tablespoon red onion, fresh cilantro, and juice of 1 lime in a small bowl. Set aside.
In another small bowl, whisk together the coconut milk, yogurt, mascarpone cheese, sugar and green chillis. Set aside.
To assemble, layer the black beans and mangoes on a warmed corn taco shells (or tortillas). Drizzle with tropical cream and enjoy!
This recipe was featured for Gluten Free Fridays.
